Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus and a print apparatus in which a sheet is pulled out from a rolled sheet and fed.
Description of the Related Art
Print apparatuses are known in which a web-like sheet is pulled out from a rolled sheet and fed. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-163495 discloses a configuration of a sheet feeding apparatus in which engagement portions are attached to respective opposite ends of a paper tube and rotatably held by two holders in a print apparatus.
In the apparatus in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-163495, the weight of the rolled sheet is borne via the engagement portions attached to the respective opposite ends of the paper tube of the roll. In other words, the weight of the roll is borne only at the opposite ends of the roll, and nothing bears the weight of the roll near the center of the roll. Normally, to prevent the roll from being deflected (warped downward in the direction of gravity) under the weight thereof in spite of the manner of weight bearing, the paper tube and the rolled sheet rolled around the paper tube are provided with sufficient rigidity. However, for a larger sheet width (for example, several m) handled by large-format printers, a thicker and heavier paper tube needs to be used in order to provide the roll with sufficient rigidity. This increases the weight of the roll as a whole to affect handling during installation and transportation. Furthermore, an increased weight of the roll causes components bearing the roll at the opposite ends thereof to be worn off earlier, thus shortening the lives of the components.
However, a reduced weight of the rolled sheet (paper tube) decreases the rigidity of the roll to increase the fear that the vicinity of center of the roll is deflected downward in the direction of gravity under the weight of the roll when the roll is borne at the two, opposite ends thereof. Such deflection of the roll causes wrinkles or folds in the sheet pulled out from the roll. Printing the areas of the wrinkles or folds leads to inappropriate images.
An aspect of the present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus that restrains the borne rolled sheet from being deflected to allow the sheet to be reliably fed.